[ LETTER ]

Calls for Gun Control Overlook the Rights of Law-Abiding Citizens

Published: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 1:54 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 1:54 a.m.

Calls from the left for more gun control in the aftermath of the horrible mass murder in Connecticut overlooks why is it important that the rights of law-abiding citizens who own semiautomatic weapons with high capacity magazines not be ignored.

As a last resort against tyranny or foreign invasion.

Every despotic, mass-murdering government in history started by disarming their people — Nazi Germany, Communist USSR, Red China, Cambodia, etc. Read our Declaration of Independence.

The world is overpopulated and the populations who want to take over the world, e.g., the Islamists, Chinese, etc., are increasingly dangerous.

As defense against well-armed criminals who will always have automatic weapons and large capacity magazines because they will obtain them illegally even from overseas sources. Disarming us will leave us defenseless and dependent solely on the cops — the cops can't be everywhere at all times and most likely will not be able to come to our assistance until we are dead or wounded in a situation involving an armed criminal. In countries which disarm law-abiding citizens, the criminals have the edge and crime rates are on the rise.

As defense against rioters and lawless mobs — a very likely situation given the state of our world and our country. We could have a severe economic crisis: electromagnetic pulse event that takes out our electric grid for long term, catastrophic weather or event of nature, etc., leading to the unprepared trying to take from the prepared by force. Just think the Watts Riots — the only store owners whose businesses were not burned to the ground or totally looted were the ones with weapons on their rooftops.

Many of us enjoy shooting at targets and inanimate objects on ranges as a hobby.

<p>Calls from the left for more gun control in the aftermath of the horrible mass murder in Connecticut overlooks why is it important that the rights of law-abiding citizens who own semiautomatic weapons with high capacity magazines not be ignored.</p><p>As a last resort against tyranny or foreign invasion.</p><p>Every despotic, mass-murdering government in history started by disarming their people — Nazi Germany, Communist USSR, Red China, Cambodia, etc. Read our Declaration of Independence.</p><p>The world is overpopulated and the populations who want to take over the world, e.g., the Islamists, Chinese, etc., are increasingly dangerous.</p><p>As defense against well-armed criminals who will always have automatic weapons and large capacity magazines because they will obtain them illegally even from overseas sources. Disarming us will leave us defenseless and dependent solely on the cops — the cops can't be everywhere at all times and most likely will not be able to come to our assistance until we are dead or wounded in a situation involving an armed criminal. In countries which disarm law-abiding citizens, the criminals have the edge and crime rates are on the rise.</p><p>As defense against rioters and lawless mobs — a very likely situation given the state of our world and our country. We could have a severe economic crisis: electromagnetic pulse event that takes out our electric grid for long term, catastrophic weather or event of nature, etc., leading to the unprepared trying to take from the prepared by force. Just think the Watts Riots — the only store owners whose businesses were not burned to the ground or totally looted were the ones with weapons on their rooftops.</p><p>Many of us enjoy shooting at targets and inanimate objects on ranges as a hobby.</p><p>ROYAL A. BROWN III</p><p>Winter Haven</p>